up. Then I turned my head to see a very big dark brown- almost black- stallion. His muscles rippled with every stride he took cantering next to me. I looked deep into his black eyes and saw my reflection. He blinked- I think it was supposed to be a sign of acknowledgment. It took me a while to realize that we had slowed to a walk and soon we had stopped altogether. There were moments of silence as we stared at each other... "Hello" I said nervously. He didn't reply. He just stood and stared at me as if I was an alien or even worse- human. I had to break the ice so I smiled at him. Again I got no reaction. I felt like one of those horses that were forced to entertain but didn't get anything back. A show horse. Yet again. Was that what the horses were like around here? I thought for a second he might have... sort of switched off so I turned to go but he swirved me round so we had basically switched places. I wouldn't look in his eyes to be disappointed again with no reaction. My eyes flicked from his face to the floor. I didn't know what he thought of me; I didn't even know who he was.

 The stallion led me across grassy fields and through rivers and past numerous herds for a day or two. He never told me who he was and I was started to get worried that the herds we were passing were the Dunez herd. Whenever I mentioned the herd, he would glance at me from the corner of his eye but never speak to me. So I got the message that he really didn't want to talk- at all. But I kept on asking him what his name was; he got quite angry at me. "YOU don't need to know who I am. I need to know who YOU are." he said. I shook my head, glad to get words out of him but annoyed that he thought he could tell me what to do. "You can't tell me what to do! I've been asking your name for hours and hours and now you expect me to tell you my name?" I asked angrily. He frowned and snorted before backing me up against a fallen tree trunk. Once more, I was backed up with a huge male horse who I didn't know bearing down on me. "Fine I will tell you my name if you tell me yours!" I suggested. The stallion nodded. I let out sigh and waited a while before telling him. " My name is Celie. I was sent to find the Dunez herd by Spirit who is the stallion of my herd." The stallion looked shocked; almost scared. "What? Who are you?" I asked. I wasn't going to let him get away by tricking me. "WHO ARE YOU!!" I yelled. He looked me in the eye for the first time since we'd met. "I've dreamt about you Celie of the cimmeron..." he began. "I don't care- just tell me your name!" His eyes darted down to the floor. I waited- expecting. Finally after a long pause his eyes stared at me once more. "Taydor. My name is Taydor."